essay about how humans affect the environment

Human Impact on Environment Essay

Ecological problem is one of the most important issues nowadays. Human activities have a negative impact on the environment. Humanity currently faces problems with air, water, and lands pollution, unreasonable agricultural systems, deforestation, and others. As a result, the number of available natural resources is decreasing. Another negative consequence of human activities is the process of global warming and global climate changes. These changes affect the whole Earth and might result in adverse consequences for people and wild nature (“The Consequences of Climate Change”). Therefore, it is obvious that the situation should be improved.

Probably, everybody asks oneself what he or she personally could do to improve the ecological situation. After all, the main source of pollution is the industry sector. However, we all belong to humanity and make our small impact on the environment. And we all could make the situation slightly better. Our daily habits have both positive and negative long-term consequences for the world we live in. It is important to understand to plan our life and our activities.

As far as my family and I are concerned, we performed several steps to reduce the negative impact on the environment. First of all, we all try to save clean water. We always remember to turn off our taps. We do not keep the water running when we brush teeth or wash something. Saving clean water is very important for the environment. The problem of clean water availability, probably, is one of the most pressing. No living creature can survive without clean water. Fewer sources we use, more of them remain for the future generation.

Another important action we perform to improve the situation with water is avoiding water pollution. Our family refused to use cleaning detergents with phosphates as it is known that these substances are harmful to human health. Moreover, it is difficult to eliminate these compounds from water. Therefore, phosphates in the water get to nature and poison living organisms. Thus, it is better to use detergents without phosphates. It helps to keep the healthy and to reduce water pollution.

Except for water pollution, there are a lot of other problems that need to be solved. One of them is waste deposits. These deposits occupy a large area. Different wastes need different (however, always significant) times to decompose. Besides, while decomposing, a lot of harmful compounds appear. These compounds poison the land and can get to the water. In the last decades, a lot of programs of waste separation appeared. People are asked to separate the waste: to combine plastic with plastic, organic with organic, and paper with paper. Different wastes are treated in different ways, which allows cutting pollution. For example, plastic can be remolded and used again, while it requires hundreds of years for its degradation in nature. Moreover, during this process, a lot of harmful products release (Law and Thompson 144). Thus, it is better to separate plastic material and recycle it. It would be even better not to use plastic at all, and when it is possible, try to use biopolymers instead.

It is important to understand that small steps are better than nothing. If we want to improve the ecological situation, we should start with ourselves, analyze our daily activities, and make improvements where it is possible. Carrying about our environment is our responsibility as citizens. Finally, the small effects of such actions might summarize positive global changes.

Works Cited

“The Consequences of Climate Change.” NASA . 2017, Web.

Law, Kara Lavender, and Richard C. Thompson. “Microplastics in the Seas.” Science, vol. 345, no. 6193, 2014, pp. 144-145.

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Essay on Impact of Human Activities on Environment

Students are often asked to write an essay on Impact of Human Activities on Environment in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Impact of Human Activities on Environment

Introduction.

Humans interact with the environment every day, and these interactions have a significant impact. Our actions can both harm and benefit the environment.

Deforestation

One of the main human activities affecting the environment is deforestation. Cutting down trees reduces biodiversity and contributes to global warming.

Pollution, another human activity, damages the air, water, and land. It harms wildlife and affects human health.

In conclusion, our actions have a profound impact on the environment. By understanding these effects, we can work towards a more sustainable future.

250 Words Essay on Impact of Human Activities on Environment

Human activities have significantly impacted the environment over the years, leading to changes in climate, biodiversity, and ecosystem health. The rapid industrialization, urbanization, and population growth have exacerbated these impacts.

Climate Change

One of the most noticeable effects of human activities is climate change, primarily due to greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels. These emissions trap heat in the earth’s atmosphere, leading to global warming. This change has sparked a series of environmental consequences, such as polar ice melting, sea-level rise, and extreme weather conditions.

Biodiversity Loss

Human activities also contribute to biodiversity loss. Habitat destruction, overexploitation of species, pollution, and introduction of invasive species have led to the extinction of numerous species. This loss of biodiversity threatens the balance of ecosystems, which can have far-reaching effects on human societies.

Deforestation, driven by human activities like logging and agricultural expansion, is another major environmental concern. It leads to habitat loss, disrupts ecosystems, and contributes to climate change by reducing the earth’s capacity to absorb carbon dioxide.

In conclusion, human activities have profound and often detrimental effects on the environment. It’s crucial for us to understand these impacts and work towards sustainable practices. The future of our planet depends on our ability to balance our needs with the health and preservation of the environment.

500 Words Essay on Impact of Human Activities on Environment

The environment is a complex system that sustains life on Earth. However, human activities have significantly impacted the environment, leading to various environmental issues. This essay will delve into the impact of human activities on the environment, focusing on pollution, deforestation, and climate change.

One of the most detrimental impacts of human activities on the environment is pollution. Industrialization, urbanization, and modern agricultural practices have led to the release of harmful substances into the environment, leading to air, water, and soil pollution. Air pollution from burning fossil fuels contributes to respiratory diseases and global warming. Water pollution, resulting from industrial waste and agricultural runoff, threatens aquatic life and contaminates drinking water sources. Soil pollution due to excessive use of chemicals affects the fertility of the soil, impacting food production and biodiversity.

Deforestation, driven by the need for agricultural land, timber, and urbanization, is another significant impact of human activities on the environment. Forests play a crucial role in maintaining the Earth’s biodiversity and regulating the climate by absorbing carbon dioxide. The loss of forests has led to a decrease in biodiversity, the disruption of ecosystems, and an increase in carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere.

The most far-reaching impact of human activities is climate change. The burning of fossil fuels for energy and transportation releases large amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. These gases trap heat, leading to a rise in the Earth’s average temperature, a phenomenon known as global warming. This has resulted in a series of climatic changes, including rising sea levels, melting ice caps, extreme weather events, and shifts in wildlife populations and plant growth.

The impact of human activities on the environment is profound and far-reaching. Pollution, deforestation, and climate change are not just environmental issues but also pose significant threats to human health, food security, and socio-economic development. It is crucial to recognize the interconnectedness of human activities and environmental health and to adopt sustainable practices to mitigate these impacts. The future of our planet depends on our ability to balance our needs with the health and sustainability of the environment.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

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Middle school Earth and space science - NGSS

Course: middle school earth and space science - ngss   >   unit 5, human impacts on the environment.

• Apply: human impacts on the environment
• Humans impact the environment through their activities. Examples of human activities include land and water use, deforestation, and the burning of fossil fuels.
• In many cases, the impacts of human activities are negative. For example, when humans clear forests, it causes habitat loss and puts other species at risk.
• Negative human impacts increase as the population grows. They also increase as the average person uses more natural resources.
• Science can help identify solutions to reduce our impacts on the environment. However, it is up to us—as individuals and as a society—to put these solutions into action.

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Human impacts on the environment.

Test students’ knowledge of how humans impact the environment through their human footprint, the introduction of invasive species, and the destruction of habitats.

Biology, Ecology, Geography, Physical Geography

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How to reduce human-caused environmental changes

The diversity on Earth aids the health and quality of human life. It provides the food we eat, the clothes we wear, and the air we breathe. But what do we do to serve the Earth? Human impact makes the environment less able to sustain life due to “human-induced rapid environmental changes.” There is no way to escape the effect we have, but there are ways to lessen it in order to protect the beauty of Earth and the many species that inhabit it.

Biology professor Blaine Griffen shares solutions to the five main drivers of human-induced rapid environmental changes:

1. Overexploitation of resources

Let’s take it back to the basics and reduce, reuse, and recycle. Recycling is the most familiar of the three solutions, but we should turn our focus to the other two to achieve the greatest positive impact. Learn how to reuse everyday items. DIY culture has promoted the ability to repurpose almost anything. Utilize the internet to find out what you can do. Reducing is effective economically and environmentally. One way we can reduce is by being extra cautious about the overexploitation of water. Don’t keep your water running and cut down on lawn sprinkler systems.

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We are part of the ecosystem that we live in, so we must support it. The humans vs. nature predicament has never been a productive one and leads to a destructive mindset. Changing this mindset can lead you to be more mindful and respectful of hiking trails, your camping footprint, and nature in general. We are meant to enjoy the beauty of nature, but we should not feel entitled to abuse it.

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Whether it is trash, chemicals, or light, the whole Earth suffers from pollution, and, luckily, we can alleviate the problem through simple efforts.

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What Are the Effects of Climate Change?

A rapidly warming planet poses an existential threat to all life on earth. Just how bad it gets depends on how quickly we act.

An area flooded by Super Typhoon Noru in the Bulacan Province of the Philippines, September 26, 2022

Rouelle Umali/Xinhua via Getty Images

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Climate change is our planet’s greatest existential threat . If we don’t limit greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of fossil fuels, the consequences of rising global temperatures include massive crop and fishery collapse, the disappearance of hundreds of thousands of species, and entire communities becoming uninhabitable. While these outcomes may still be avoidable, climate change is already causing suffering and death. From raging wildfires and supercharged storms, its compounding effects can be felt today, outside our own windows.

Understanding these impacts can help us prepare for what’s here, what’s avoidable, and what’s yet to come, and to better prepare and protect all communities. Even though everyone is or will be affected by climate change, those living in the world’s poorest countries—which have contributed least to the problem—are the most climate-vulnerable. They have the fewest financial resources to respond to crises or adapt, and they’re closely dependent on a healthy, thriving natural world for food and income. Similarly, in the United States, it is most often low-income communities and communities of color that are on the frontlines of climate impacts. And because climate change and rising inequality are interconnected crises, decision makers must take action to combat both—and all of us must fight for climate justice. Here’s what you need to know about what we’re up against.

Effects of climate change on weather

Effects of climate change on the environment, effects of climate change on agriculture, effects of climate change on animals, effects of climate change on humans, future effects of climate change.

As global temperatures climb, widespread shifts in weather systems occur, making events like droughts , hurricanes , and floods more intense and unpredictable. Extreme weather events that may have hit just once in our grandparents’ lifetimes are becoming more common in ours. However, not every place will experience the same effects: Climate change may cause severe drought in one region while making floods more likely in another.

Already, the planet has warmed 1.1 degrees Celsius (1.9 degrees Fahrenheit) since the preindustrial era began 250 years ago, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) . And scientists warn it could reach a worst-case scenario of 4 degrees Celsius (7.2 degrees Fahrenheit) by 2100 if we fail to tackle the causes of climate change —namely, the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, and gas) .

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The Yomiuri Shimbun via AP Images

Higher average temperatures

This change in global average temperature—seemingly small but consequential and climbing—means that, each summer, we are likely to experience increasingly sweltering heat waves. Even local news meteorologists are starting to connect strings of record-breaking days to new long-term trends, which are especially problematic in regions where infrastructure and housing have not been built with intensifying heat in mind. And heat waves aren’t just uncomfortable—they’re the leading cause of weather-related fatalities in the United States.

Longer-lasting droughts

Hotter temperatures increase the rate at which water evaporates from the air, leading to more severe and pervasive droughts . Already, climate change has pushed the American West into a severe “megadrought”—the driest 22-year stretch recorded in at least 1,200 years—shrinking drinking water supplies, withering crops , and making forests more susceptible to insect infestations. Drought can also create a positive feedback loop in which drier soil and less plant cover cause even faster evaporation.

More intense wildfires

This drier, hotter climate also creates conditions that fuel more vicious wildfire seasons—with fires that spread faster and burn longer—putting millions of additional lives and homes at risk. The number of large wildfires doubled between 1984 and 2015 in the western United States. And in California alone, the annual area burned by wildfires increased 500 percent between 1972 and 2018.

Evacuation after Hurricane Harvey in Houston, August 28, 2017

David J. Phillip/AP Photo

Stronger storms

Warmer air also holds more moisture, making tropical cyclones wetter, stronger, and more capable of rapidly intensifying. In the latest report from the IPCC , scientists found that daily rainfall during extreme precipitation events would increase by about 7 percent for each degree Celsius of global warming, increasing the dangers of flooding . The frequency of severe Category 4 and 5 hurricanes is also expected to increase. In 2017, Hurricane Harvey, a devastating Category 4 storm, dumped a record 275 trillion pounds of rain and resulted in dozens of deaths in the Houston area.

From the poles to the tropics, climate change is disrupting ecosystems. Even a seemingly slight shift in temperature can cause dramatic changes that ripple through food webs and the environment.

The lake at Jökulsárlón, a glacial lagoon in Iceland, which has grown because of continued glacial melting

Eskinder Debebe/UN Photo

Melting sea ice

The effects of climate change are most apparent in the world’s coldest regions—the poles. The Arctic is heating up twice as fast as anywhere else on earth, leading to the rapid melting of glaciers and polar ice sheets, where a massive amount of water is stored. As sea ice melts, darker ocean waters that absorb more sunlight become exposed, creating a positive feedback loop that speeds up the melting process. In just 15 years, the Arctic could be entirely ice-free in the summer.

Sea level rise

Scientists predict that melting sea ice and glaciers, as well as the fact that warmer water expands in volume, could cause sea levels to rise as much as 3.61 feet by the end of the century, should we fail to curb emissions. The extent (and pace) of this change would devastate low-lying regions, including island nations and densely populated coastal cities like New York City and Mumbai.

But sea level rise at far lower levels is still costly, dangerous, and disruptive. According to the 2022 Sea Level Rise Technical Report from the National Ocean Service, the United States will see a foot of sea level rise by 2050, which will regularly damage infrastructure, like roads, sewage treatment plants, and even power plants . Beaches that families have grown up visiting may be gone by the end of the century. Sea level rise also harms the environment, as encroaching seawater can both erode coastal ecosystems and invade freshwater inland aquifers, which we rely on for agriculture and drinking water. Saltwater incursion is already reshaping life in nations like Bangladesh , where one-quarter of the lands lie less than 7 feet above sea level.

A waterlogged road, caused by rainstorm and upstream flood discharge, in the Shaoguan, Guangdong Province of China, June 21, 2022

Stringer/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

In addition to coastal flooding caused by sea level rise, climate change influences the factors that result in inland and urban flooding: snowmelt and heavy rain. As global warming continues to both exacerbate sea level rise and extreme weather, our nation’s floodplains are expected to grow by approximately 45 percent by 2100. In 2022, deadly flooding in Pakistan—which inundated as much as a third of the country—resulted from torrential rains mixed with melting glaciers and snow.

Warmer ocean waters and marine heat waves

Oceans are taking the brunt of our climate crisis. Covering more than 70 percent of the planet’s surface, oceans absorb 93 percent of all the heat that’s trapped by greenhouse gases and up to 30 percent of all the carbon dioxide emitted from burning fossil fuels.

Temperature-sensitive fish and other marine life are already changing migration patterns toward cooler and deeper waters to survive, sending food webs and important commercial fisheries into disarray. And the frequency of marine heat waves has increased by more than a third . These spikes have led to mass die-offs of plankton and marine mammals.

To make matters worse, the elevated absorption of carbon dioxide by the ocean leads to its gradual acidification , which alters the fundamental chemical makeup of the water and threatens marine life that has evolved to live in a narrow pH band. Animals like corals, oysters, and mussels will likely feel these effects first, as acidification disrupts the calcification process required to build their shells.

Ecosystem stressors

Land-based ecosystems—from old-growth forests to savannahs to tropical rainforests—are faring no better. Climate change is likely to increase outbreaks of pests, invasive species, and pathogen infections in forests. It’s changing the kinds of vegetation that can thrive in a given region and disrupting the life cycles of wildlife, all of which is changing the composition of ecosystems and making them less resilient to stressors. While ecosystems have the capacity to adapt, many are reaching the hard limits of that natural capacity . More repercussions will follow as temperatures rise.

Climate change appears to be triggering a series of cascading ecological changes that we can neither fully predict nor, once they have enough momentum, fully stop. This ecosystem destabilization may be most apparent when it comes to keystone species that have an outsize- role in holding up an ecosystem’s structure.

Coffee plants destroyed by frost due to extremely low temperatures near Caconde in the São Paulo state of Brazil, August 25, 2021

Jonne Roriz/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Less predictable growing seasons

In a warming world, farming crops is more unpredictable—and livestock, which are sensitive to extreme weather, become harder to raise. Climate change shifts precipitation patterns, causing unpredictable floods and longer-lasting droughts. More frequent and severe hurricanes can devastate an entire season’s worth of crops. Meanwhile, the dynamics of pests, pathogens, and invasive species—all of which are costly for farmers to manage—are also expected to become harder to predict. This is bad news, given that most of the world’s farms are small and family-run. One bad drought or flood could decimate an entire season’s crop or herd. For example, in June 2022, a triple-digit heat wave in Kansas wiped out thousands of cows. While the regenerative agriculture movement is empowering rural communities to make their lands more resilient to climate change, unfortunately, not all communities can equitably access the support services that can help them embrace these more sustainable farming tactics.

Reduced soil health

Healthy soil has good moisture and mineral content and is teeming with bugs, bacteria, fungi, and microbes that in turn contribute to healthy crops. But climate change, particularly extreme heat and changes in precipitation, can degrade soil quality. These impacts are exacerbated in areas where industrial, chemical-dependent monoculture farming has made soil and crops less able to withstand environmental changes.

Food shortages

Ultimately, impacts to our agricultural systems pose a direct threat to the global food supply. And food shortages and price hikes driven by climate change will not affect everyone equally: Wealthier people will continue to have more options for accessing food, while potentially billions of others will be plummeted into food insecurity—adding to the billions that already have moderate or severe difficulty getting enough to eat.

The poison dart frog’s survival is currently threatened by habitat loss and climate change.

Chris Mattison/Minden Pictures

It’s about far more than just the polar bears: Half of all animal species in the world’s most biodiverse places, like the Amazon rainforest and the Galapagos Islands, are at risk of extinction from climate change. And climate change is threatening species that are already suffering from the biodiversity crisis, which is driven primarily by changes in land and ocean use (like converting wild places to farmland) and direct exploitation of species (like overfishing and wildlife trade). With species already in rough shape—more than 500,000 species have insufficient habitat for long-term survival—unchecked climate change is poised to push millions over the edge.

Climate change rapidly and fundamentally alters (or in some cases, destroys) the habitat that wildlife have incrementally adapted to over millennia. This is especially harmful for species’ habitats that are currently under threat from other causes. Ice-dependent mammals like walruses and penguins, for example, won’t fare well as ice sheets shrink. Rapid shifts in ocean temperatures stress the algae that nourishes coral reefs, causing reefs to starve—an increasingly common phenomenon known as coral bleaching . Disappearing wetlands in the Midwest’s Prairie Pothole Region means the loss of watering holes and breeding grounds for millions of migratory birds. (Many species are now struggling to survive, as more than 85 percent of wetlands have been lost since 1700). And sea level rise will inundate or erode away many coastal habitats, where hundreds of species of birds, invertebrates, and other marine species live.

Many species’ behaviors—mating, feeding, migration—are closely tied to subtle seasonal shifts, as in temperature , precipitation level, and foliage. In some cases, changes to the environment are happening quicker than species are able to adapt. When the types and quantity of plant life change across a region, or when certain species bloom or hatch earlier or later than in the past, it impacts food and water supplies and reverberates up food chains.

Wildfire smoke–filled air in Multnomah County, Oregon, September 16, 2020

Motoya Nakamura/Multnomah County Communications, CC BY NC-ND 4.0

Ultimately, the way climate change impacts weather, the environment, animals, and agriculture affects humanity as well. But there’s more. Around the world, our ways of life—from how we get our food to the industries around which our economies are based—have all developed in the context of relatively stable climates. As global warming shakes this foundation, it promises to alter the very fabric of society. At worst, this could lead to widespread famine, disease, war, displacement , injury, and death. For many around the world, this grim forecast is already their reality. In this way, climate change poses an existential threat to all human life.

Human health

Climate change worsens air quality . It increases exposure to hazardous wildfire smoke and ozone smog triggered by warmer conditions, both of which harm our health, particularly for those with pre-existing illnesses like asthma or heart disease.

Insect-borne diseases like malaria and Zika become more prevalent in a warming world as their carriers are able to exist in more regions or thrive for longer seasons. In the past 30 years, the incidence of Lyme disease from ticks has nearly doubled in the United States, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Thousands of people face injury, illness , and death every year from more frequent or more intense extreme weather events. At a 2-degree Celsius rise in global average temperature, an estimated one billion people will face heat stress risk. In the summer of 2022 alone, thousands died in record-shattering heat waves across Europe. Weeks later, dozens were killed by record-breaking urban flooding in the United States and South Korea—and more than 1,500 people perished in the flooding in Pakistan , where resulting stagnant water and unsanitary conditions threaten even more.

The effects of climate change—and the looming threat of what’s yet to come—take a significant toll on mental health too. One 2021 study on climate anxiety, published in the journal Nature , surveyed 10,000 young people from 10 different countries. Forty-five percent of respondents said that their feelings about climate change, varying from anxiety to powerlessness to anger, impacted their daily lives.

A patient with dengue fever, a mosquito-borne disease, in Karachi, Pakistan, where the spread of diseases worsened due to flooding, September 2022

Fareed Khan/AP Photo

Worsening inequity

The climate crisis exacerbates existing inequities. Though wealthy nations, such as the United States, have emitted the lion’s share of historical greenhouse gas emissions, it’s developing countries that may lack the resources to adapt and will now bear the brunt of the climate crisis. In some cases, low-lying island nations—like many in the Pacific —may cease to exist before developed economies make meaningful reductions to their carbon emissions.

Even within wealthier nations, disparities will continue to grow between those rich enough to shield themselves from the realities of climate change and those who cannot. Those with ample resources will not be displaced from their homes by wars over food or water—at least not right away. They will have homes with cool air during heat waves and be able to easily evacuate when a hurricane is headed their way. They will be able to buy increasingly expensive food and access treatment for respiratory illness caused by wildfire smoke. Billions of others can’t—and are paying the highest price for climate pollution they did not produce.

Hurricane Katrina, for example, displaced more than one million people around the Gulf Coast. But in New Orleans , where redlining practices promoted racial and economic segregation, the city’s more affluent areas tended to be located on higher ground—and those residents were able to return and rebuild much faster than others.

Displacement

Climate change will drive displacement due to impacts like food and water scarcities, sea level rise, and economic instability. It’s already happening. The United Nations Global Compact on Refugees recognizes that “climate, environmental degradation and disasters increasingly interact with the drivers of refugee movements.” Again, communities with the fewest resources—including those facing political instability and poverty—will feel the effects first and most devastatingly.

A flood-damaged home in Queens, New York, December 1, 2021

K.C. Wilsey/FEMA

Economic impacts

According to the 2018 National Climate Assessment, unless action is taken, climate change will cost the U.S. economy as much as $500 billion per year by the end of the century. And that doesn’t even include its enormous impacts on human health . Entire local industries—from commercial fishing to tourism to husbandry—are at risk of collapsing, along with the economic support they provide.

Recovering from the destruction wrought by extreme weather like hurricanes, flash floods, and wildfires is also getting more expensive every year. In 2021, the price tag of weather disasters in the United States totaled $145 billion —the third-costliest year on record, including a number of billion-dollar weather events.

The first wave of impacts can already be felt in our communities and seen on the nightly news. The World Health Organization says that in the near future, between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause an additional 250,000 deaths per year from things like malnutrition, insect-borne diseases, and heat stress. And the World Bank estimates that climate change could displace more than 140 million people within their home countries in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Latin America by 2050.

But the degree to which the climate crisis upends our lives depends on whether global leaders decide to chart a different course. If we fail to curb greenhouse gas emissions, scientists predict a catastrophic 4.3 degrees Celsius , (or around 8 degrees Fahrenheit) of warming by the end of the century. What would a world that warm look like? Wars over water. Crowded hospitals to contend with spreading disease. Collapsed fisheries. Dead coral reefs. Even more lethal heat waves. These are just some of the impacts predicted by climate scientists .

Solar panel installation at a floating photovoltaic plant on a lake in Haltern am See, Germany, April 2022

Martin Meissner/AP Photo

Climate mitigation, or our ability to reverse climate change and undo its widespread effects, hinges on the successful enactment of policies that yield deep cuts to carbon pollution, end our dependence on dangerous fossil fuels and the deadly air pollution they generate, and prioritize the people and ecosystems on the frontlines. And these actions must be taken quickly in order to ensure a healthier present day and future. In one of its latest reports, the IPCC presented its most optimistic emissions scenario, in which the world only briefly surpasses 1.5 degrees of warming but sequestration measures cause it to dip back below by 2100. Climate adaptation , a term that refers to coping with climate impacts, is no longer optional ; it’s necessary, particularly for the world’s most vulnerable populations.

By following the urgent warnings of the IPCC and limiting warming, we may be able to avoid passing some of the critical thresholds that, once crossed, can lead to potentially irreversible, catastrophic impacts for the planet, including more warming. These thresholds are known as climate tipping points and refer to when a natural system "tips" into an entirely different state. One example would be Arctic permafrost, which stores carbon like a freezer: As the permafrost melts from warming temperatures, it releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Importantly, climate action is not a binary pass-fail test. Every fraction of a degree of warming that we prevent will reduce human suffering and death, and keep more of the planet’s natural systems intact. The good news is that a wide range of solutions exist to sharply reduce emissions, slow the pace of warming, and protect communities on the frontlines of climate impacts. Climate leaders the world over—those on major political stages as well as grassroots community activists—are offering up alternative models to systems that prioritize polluters over people. Many of these solutions are rooted in ancestral and Indigenous understandings of the natural world and have existed for millennia. Some solutions require major investments into clean, renewable energy and sustainable technologies. To be successful, climate solutions must also address intersecting crises—like poverty, racism, and gender inequality —that compound and drive the causes and impacts of the climate crisis. A combination of human ingenuity and immense political will can help us get there.

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• Earth & environment

Population and environment: a global challenge

Many people worry that population growth will eventually cause an environmental catastrophe. However, the problem is bigger and more complex than just counting bodies.

Expert reviewers

Professor Stephen Dovers

Director, Fenner School of Environment and Society, College of Medicine, Biology & Environment,

Australian National University

Professor Colin Butler

Professor, Faculty of Health

University of Canberra

• The world population is growing by approximately 74 million people per year
• Population growth is not evenly distributed across the globe
• Scientists are yet to conclusively determine the human ‘carrying capacity’ of Earth
• Population is only one of many factors influencing the environment
• We have consumed more resources in the last 50 years than the whole of humanity before us
• The 20 th century saw the biggest increase in the world’s population in human history

Listen to this topic

Our growing population.

We humans are remarkable creatures. From our humble beginnings in small pockets of Africa, we have evolved over millennia to colonise almost every corner of our planet. We are clever, resilient and adaptable―perhaps a little too adaptable.

In 2015 the world population is more than 7.3 billion people . That’s more than seven billion three hundred million bodies that need to be fed, clothed, kept warm and ideally, nurtured and educated. More than 7.3 billion individuals who, while busy consuming resources, are also producing vast quantities of waste, and our numbers continue to grow. The United Nations estimates that the world population will reach 9.2 billion by 2050.

For most of our existence the human population has grown very slowly, kept in check by disease, climate fluctuations and other social factors. It took until 1804 for us to reach 1 billion people. Since then, continuing improvements in nutrition, medicine and technology have seen our population increase rapidly.

The impact of so many humans on the environment takes two major forms:

• consumption of resources such as land, food, water, air, fossil fuels and minerals
• waste products as a result of consumption such as air and water pollutants, toxic materials and greenhouse gases

More than just numbers

Many people worry that unchecked population growth will eventually cause an environmental catastrophe. This is an understandable fear, and a quick look at the circumstantial evidence certainly shows that as our population has increased, the health of our environment has decreased. The impact of so many people on the planet has resulted in some scientists coining a new term to describe our time—the Anthropocene epoch. Unlike previous geological epochs, where various geological and climate processes defined the time periods, the proposed Anthropecene period is named for the dominant influence humans and their activities are having on the environment. In essence, humans are a new global geophysical force.

However, while population size is part of the problem, the issue is bigger and more complex than just counting bodies.

There are many factors at play. Essentially, it is what is happening within those populations—their distribution (density, migration patterns and urbanisation), their composition (age, sex and income levels) and, most importantly, their consumption patterns—that are of equal, if not more importance, than just numbers.

The IPAT equation, first devised in the 1970s, is a way of determining environmental degradation based on a multiple of factors. At its simplest, it describes how human impact on the environment (I) is a result of a multiplicative contribution of population (P), affluence (A) and technology (T).

I = P x A x T

Environmental impact (I) can be considered in terms of resource depletion and waste accumulation; population (P) refers to the size of the human population; affluence (A) refers to the levels of consumption by that population; and technology (T) refers to the processes used to obtain resources and transform them into useful goods and wastes.

As well as bringing the link between population and environment to a wider audience, the IPAT equation encouraged people to see that environmental problems are caused by multiple factors that when combined produced a compounding effect. More significantly, it showed that the assumption of a simple multiplicative relationship among the main factors generally does not hold—doubling the population, for example, does not necessarily lead to a doubling of environmental impact. The reverse is also true—a reduction of the technology factor by 50 per cent would not necessarily lead to a reduction in environmental impact by the same margin.   

The IPAT equation is not perfect, but it does help to demonstrate that population is not the only (or necessarily the most important) factor relating to environmental damage.

Focusing solely on population number obscures the multifaceted relationship between us humans and our environment, and makes it easier for us to lay the blame at the feet of others, such as those in developing countries, rather than looking at how our own behaviour may be negatively affecting the planet. 

Let’s take a closer look at the issues.

Population size

It's no surprise that as the world population continues to grow, the limits of essential global resources such as potable water, fertile land, forests and fisheries are becoming more obvious. You don’t have to be a maths whizz to work out that, on the whole, more people use more resources and create more waste.

But how many people is too many? How many of us can Earth realistically support?

Influenced by the work of Thomas Malthus, ' carrying capacity GLOSSARY carrying capacity The maximum number of individuals of a species that can be supported in an area. Carrying capacity is usually limited by components of the environment (e.g. food, habitat, resources). ' can be defined as the maximum population size an environment can sustain indefinitely.

Debate about the actual human carrying capacity of Earth dates back hundreds of years. The range of estimates is enormous, fluctuating from 500 million people to more than one trillion. Scientists disagree not only on the final number, but more importantly about the best and most accurate way of determining that number—hence the huge variability.

How can this be? Whether we have 500 million people or one trillion, we still have only one planet, which has a finite level of resources. The answer comes back to resource consumption. People around the world consume resources differently and unevenly. An average middle-class American consumes 3.3 times the subsistence level GLOSSARY subsistence level A standard of living (or wage) that provides only the bare necessities of life. of food and almost 250 times the subsistence level of clean water. So if everyone on Earth lived like a middle class American, then the planet might have a carrying capacity of around 2 billion. However, if people only consumed what they actually needed, then the Earth could potentially support a much higher figure.

But we need to consider not just quantity but also quality—Earth might be able to theoretically support over one trillion people, but what would their quality of life be like? Would they be scraping by on the bare minimum of allocated resources, or would they have the opportunity to lead an enjoyable and full life? 

More importantly, could these trillion people cooperate on the scale required, or might some groups seek to use a disproportionate fraction of resources? If so, might other groups challenge that inequality, including through the use of violence?

These are questions that are yet to be answered.

Population distribution

The ways in which populations are spread across Earth has an effect on the environment. Developing countries tend to have higher birth rates due to poverty and lower access to family planning and education, while developed countries have lower birth rates. In 2015, 80 per cent of the world’s population live in less-developed nations. These faster-growing populations can add pressure to local environments.

Globally, in almost every country, humans are also becoming more urbanised. In 1960 less than one third of the world’s population lived in cities. By 2014, that figure was 54 per cent, with a projected rise to 66 per cent by 2050.

While many enthusiasts for centralisation and urbanisation argue this allows for resources to be used more efficiently, in developing countries this mass movement of people heading towards the cities in search of employment and opportunity often outstrips the pace of development, leading to slums, poor (if any) environmental regulation, and higher levels of centralised pollution. Even in developed nations, more people are moving to the cities than ever before. The pressure placed on growing cities and their resources such as water, energy and food due to continuing growth includes pollution from additional cars, heaters and other modern luxuries, which can cause a range of localised environmental problems. 

Humans have always moved around the world. However, government policies, conflict or environmental crises can enhance these migrations, often causing short or long-term environmental damage. For example, since 2011 conditions in the Middle East have seen population transfer (also known as unplanned migration) result in several million refugees fleeing countries including Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. The sudden development of often huge refugee camps can affect water supplies, cause land damage (such as felling of trees for fuel) or pollute environments (lack of sewerage systems).

Population composition

The composition of a population can also affect the surrounding environment. At present, the global population has both the largest proportion of young people (under 24) and the largest percentage of elderly people in history. As young people are more likely to migrate, this leads to intensified urban environmental concerns, as listed above.

Life expectancy has increased by approximately 20 years since 1960. While this is a triumph for mankind, and certainly a good thing for the individual, from the planet's point of view it is just another body that is continuing to consume resources and produce waste for around 40 per cent longer than in the past.

Ageing populations are another element to the multi-faceted implications of demographic population change, and pose challenges of their own. For example between 1970 and 2006, Japan's proportion of people over 65 grew from 7 per cent to more than 20 per cent of its population. This has huge implications on the workforce, as well as government spending on pensions and health care.

Population income is also an important consideration. The uneven distribution of income results in pressure on the environment from both the lowest and highest income levels. In order to simply survive, many of the world’s poorest people partake in unsustainable levels of resource use, for example burning rubbish, tyres or plastics for fuel. They may also be forced to deplete scarce natural resources, such as forests or animal populations, to feed their families. On the other end of the spectrum, those with the highest incomes consume disproportionately large levels of resources through the cars they drive, the homes they live in and the lifestyle choices they make.

On a country-wide level, economic development and environmental damage are also linked. The least developed nations tend to have lower levels of industrial activity, resulting in lower levels of environmental damage. The most developed countries have found ways of improving technology and energy efficiency to reduce their environmental impact while retaining high levels of production. It is the countries in between—those that are developing and experiencing intense resource consumption (which may be driven by demand from developed countries)—that are often the location of the most environmental damage.

Population consumption

While poverty and environmental degradation are closely interrelated, it is the unsustainable patterns of consumption and production, primarily in developed nations, that are of even greater concern. 

It’s not often that those in developed countries stop and consider our own levels of consumption. For many, particularly in industrialised countries, the consumption of goods and resources is just a part of our lives and culture, promoted not only by advertisers but also by governments wanting to continually grow their economy. Culturally, it is considered a normal part of life to shop, buy and consume, to continually strive to own a bigger home or a faster car, all frequently promoted as signs of success. It may be fine to participate in consumer culture and to value material possessions, but in excess it is harming both the planet and our emotional wellbeing.

The environmental impact of all this consumption is huge. The mass production of goods, many of them unnecessary for a comfortable life, is using large amounts of energy, creating excess pollution, and generating huge amounts of waste.

To complicate matters, environmental impacts of high levels of consumption are not confined to the local area or even country. For example, the use of fossil fuels for energy (to drive our bigger cars, heat and cool our bigger houses) has an impact on global CO 2  levels and resulting environmental effects. Similarly, richer countries are also able to rely on resource and/or waste-intensive imports being produced in poorer countries. This enables them to enjoy the products without having to deal with the immediate impacts of the factories or pollution that went in to creating them.  

On a global scale, not all humans are equally responsible for environmental harm. Consumption patterns and resource use are very high in some parts of the world, while in others—often in countries with far more people—they are low, and the basic needs of whole populations are not being met. A  study undertaken in 2009  showed that the countries with the fastest population growth also had the slowest increases in carbon emissions. The reverse was also true—for example the population of North America grew only 4 per cent between 1980 and 2005, while its carbon emissions grew by 14 per cent. 

Individuals living in developed countries have, in general, a much bigger ecological footprint GLOSSARY ecological footprint The impact of a person or community on the environment, expressed as the amount of land required to sustain their use of natural resources. than those living in the developing world. The ecological footprint is a standardised measure of how much productive land and water is needed to produce the resources that are consumed, and to absorb the wastes produced by a person or group of people.

Today humanity uses the equivalent of 1.5 planets to provide the resources we use and absorb our waste. This means it now takes the Earth one year and six months to regenerate what we use in a year. Global Footprint Network

When Australian consumption is viewed from a global perspective, we leave an exceptionally large 'ecological footprint'—one of the largest in the world. While the average global footprint is 2.7 global hectares, in 2014 Australia's ecological footprint was calculated at 6.7 global hectares per person (this large number is mostly due to our carbon emissions). To put this in perspective, if the rest of world lived like we do in Australia, we would need the equivalent of 3.6 Earths to meet the demand.

Similarly, an American has an ecological footprint almost 9 times larger than an Indian—so while the population of India far exceeds that of the United States, in terms of environmental damage, it is the American consumption of resources that is causing the higher level of damage to the planet.

What is the solution?

How do we solve the delicate problem of population growth and environmental limitations? Joel Cohen, a mathematician and author characterised potential solutions in the following way:

1. A bigger pie: Technical innovation

This theory looks to innovation and technology as Earth’s saviour, not only to extend the planet’s human carrying capacity, but to also improve the quality of life for each individual. Advances in food production technologies such as agriculture, water purification and genetic engineering may help to feed the masses, while moving away from fossil fuels to renewable power sources such as wind and solar will go some way to reducing climate change.

‘Economic decoupling’ refers to the ability of an economy to grow without corresponding increases in environmental pressure. In 2014 the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released a report titled ' Decoupling 2 ', which explored the possibilities and opportunities of technology and innovation to accelerate decoupling, and an analysis of how far technical innovation can go.

Funding and research should be a high priority in these areas, but we must accept that technology can only do so much, and is only part of the solution.

2. Fewer forks: Education and policy change  

This theory is based on demographic transition, effectively finding ways to slow or stop population growth resulting in fewer people fighting for resources or ‘slices’ of pie.

Birth rates naturally decline when populations are given access to sexual and reproductive healthcare, education for boys and girls beyond the primary level is encouraged and made available, and women are empowered to participate in social and political life. Continuing to support programs and policies in these areas should see a corresponding drop in birth rates. Similarly, as the incomes of individuals in developing countries increase, there is a corresponding decrease in birth rates. This is another incentive for richer countries to help their poorer neighbours reach their development potential.

Providing a health, educational or financial incentive has also proven to be effective in combating some population issues. For example, paying money to people with two or fewer children or allowing free education for families with a single child has been trialled with some success. However, there are debates about incentive programs (such as paying women in India to undergo sterilisation). Opponents question whether accepting these incentives is really is a choice, or whether the recipient has been coerced into it through community pressure or financial desperation.

Fewer forks can also cover another complicated area—the option of seriously controlling population growth by force. China has done so in the past and attracted both high praise and severe humanitarian criticism. This is a morally-, economically- and politically-charged topic, to which there is no easy answer.

3. Better manners: Less is more

The better manners approach seeks to educate people about their actions and the consequences of those actions, leading to a change in behaviour. This relates not only to individuals but also governments. Individuals across the world, but particularly in developed countries, need to reassess their consumption patterns. Numerous studies have shown that more ‘stuff’ doesn't make people happier anyway . We need to step back and re-examine what is important and actively find ways to reduce the amount of resources we consume. Taking shorter showers, saying no to single-use plastics, buying less, recycling our waste and reviewing our mode and frequency of travel may seem trivial, but if millions around the world begin to do it as well, the difference will begin to add up.

Governments too need to instigate shifts in environmental policy to protect and enhance natural areas, reduce CO 2 and other greenhouse gas emissions, invest in renewable energy sources and focus on conservation as priorities. 

Developing countries should be supported by their more developed neighbours to reach their development goals in sustainable, practical ways.

In reality, there is no single, easy solution. All three options must be part of a sustainable future.

Where to from here?

Population is an issue that cannot be ignored. While we can all do our bit to reduce our own global footprint, the combined impact of billions of other footprints will continue to add up. There are many who believe that if we do not find ways of limiting the numbers of people on Earth ourselves, then Earth itself will eventually find ways of doing it for us.

Interestingly, despite population increase being such a serious issue, the United Nations has held only three world conferences on population and development (in 1945, 1974 and 1994).  

However,  governments around the world are beginning to recognise the seriousness and importance of the situation, and are taking steps to reduce the environmental impacts of increasing populations and consumption such as through pollution reduction targets for air, soil and water pollutants. The  United Nations Climate Change Conference  in Paris, scheduled for December 2015, is one example; however any international policies need to be backed up by workable solutions at the individual, local and regional level.

With more than 7.3 billion people on the planet, it’s easy to assume someone else will tackle and solve the issue of population and environment. Yet it is an issue that affects us all, and as such we’re all responsible for working towards a sustainable future in which everyone is able to enjoy a good quality of life without destroying the very things we rely on to survive. It’s possible, but it will take the combined and coordinated efforts of individuals, communities, and governments to get there.

Feeding a hot, hungry world

Climate change and human health, more food, cleaner food—gene technology and plants.

• sustainability

• Biology Article
• Human Impact On The Environment

How Does Human Affect The Environment?

The environment is everything that surrounds us. It encompasses all the natural, living, nonliving, and artificial things. Environment can also be defined as our surroundings with all its living and non-living things such as air, water, soil, plants and animals.

Humans are mainly responsible for the destruction of the environment. The impacts of human activity on the environment are from the time of our very earliest ancestors. Since then we have all been modifying the environment as per our convenience, and at this point, today, we are losing all the valuable natural resources which cannot be gained back.

The human effects or the factors contributing to the loss of the environment are:

• Deforestation
• Overpopulation
• Disposal of wastes
• Wastage of natural resources

All these factors lead to acid rain, increased carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, acidification of lakes, depletion of the ozone layer, climate change, global warming, extinction of species, etc.

Also Read:   Environmental Issues and Solutions

This was a brief introduction to human impacts on the environment. Stay tuned with BYJU’S to learn more in detail about the Environment and the effects of Human Activities on the Environment.

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Frequently Asked Questions on How Does Human Affect The Environment?

How do humans pollute the environment.

The wastewater and sewage pollute the water bodies. The smoke from vehicles, power stations and industries pollutes the air. Plastic waste, chemical waste, radioactive waste and biomedical wastes pollute the soil.

What is deforestation and why it is done?

The cutting of a large number of trees is known as deforestation. It is done to clear the forest land for agriculture, and human settlements.

What is overpopulation?

An increase in population beyond the resources can sustain is termed overpopulation. It puts pressure on the environment

What is acid rain?

The reduction in pH of rain due to the presence of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide gases in the air is called acid rain. These gases are released during the burning of fossil fuels.

What is climate change?

Climate change refers to the changes in climatic conditions in various parts of the world, characterised by long summers, intense winters, frequent storms and heavy rainfall. This causes the destruction of livelihood and agriculture.

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Human Impact on the Environment

How do human activities affect the environment.

The environment is like a blanket that surrounds our being everywhere. By environment, we do not only mean plants or animals. The environment is inclusive of all the living and nonliving creatures present on the Earth. The interaction between humans and the environment exists right from the evolution of human beings on earth. Humans have a significant impact on the environment. 

There are many answers to how human activities affect the environment. The impact of human activities on the environment is two-sided - positive and negative. Humans are responsible for impacting the biophysical environment, biodiversity, and other resources and the working mechanism of the environment. Many factors have led to alterations in the environment. Have you ever wondered how the human population affects the environment? 

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Effects of Human Activities on Environment are as Follows

1. Loss of Biodiversity.

2. Pollution

3. Climate Change.

4. Misuse of Natural Resources.

This article will give you a summary of what is the human impact on the environment and how the human population affects the environment.

Effects of Human Activities on Environment

1. loss of biodiversity.

Ever wondered how human activities affect the environment? One of the major effects of human activities on the Environment is Biodiversity loss. Biodiversity is the variety of species living in an ecosystem. The larger the number of species and genetic variation, the greater is the biodiversity. Due to the increase in human settlements, many forests are being cut. This has led to a reduction in the number of plant species. Many animals become homeless. The constantly changing climatic conditions and extinction of many ecosystems have also led to the loss of biodiversity. It is astonishing to see the impact of human activities on the environment.

Pollution is a major issue faced by us today. Pollution is a result of the ignorance of humans towards their environment. The wrongful disposal of wastes on the roads, in the water bodies, leads to land and water pollution. The harmful emissions from the human-made factories get released into the air, causing air pollution. It is sad to see that the developments made to benefit us are depleting our environment day after day. This is how humans affect their environment.

3. Climate Change

One of the most significant human impacts on the environment is deforestation. Due to deforestation and pollution, there are significant changes in the weather conditions of a place. These changes when happening in a prolonged chain are known as climate change. Deforestation causes a delay in the arrival of monsoon and the purification of the air. With growing human settlements and industrialization, the level of harmful gases in the environment keeps increasing.  

4. Misuse of Natural Resources

The misuse or over-exploitation of natural resources also has a human impact on the environment. It puts a lot of stress on the environment to re-create these natural resources. Not all natural resources can be re-created. Some of them like petroleum take thousands of years to get replenished. 

Another major human impact on the environment is brought by Erosion. The deforestation and littering of the soil make it more prone to erosion. Due to the uprooting of trees, the soil becomes loose and can easily be carried away by the air or floods. Erosion is also partially connected to climate change. 

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How does Human Population Affect the Environment?

The human population is largely responsible for the human impact on the environment. The question of how the human population affects the environment is very old. The human population is directly responsible for the changes in the environment. Here are a few factors that determine the effects of human activities on the environment.

The increase in the human population causes overcrowding. With the increase in population, the demand for space, food, resources, and employment increases. This directly leads to the clearing of forests or deforestation. 

The employment requirements of the people lead to an increase in industrialization. Industrialization also demands deforestation. The wastes of the industries are dumped in the river beds or released into the air, which causes pollution.

Important Facts of Human Impact on the Environment 

Did you know that around 27,000 trees are cut every day to produce toilet paper rolls? Toilet paper rolls are used almost in every household. They are used and thrown into the garbage bags. So many trees are cut to satisfy human needs. Such is the impact of human activities on the environment.

Solved Example

1. How Does the Human Population Affect the Environment?

Answer: The human population has a great impact on the environment. The impact of human activities on the environment is direct. Overpopulation of humans leads to deforestation which is responsible for climatic change. The more the population, the demand for resources and food grows. This leads to an over-exploitation of resources. To study the impact of humans on the environment through the Forest and Environment Act, there is a separate human impact on the environment article mentioned in the Act.

Impacts of Human Activities on the Environment

There are different ways humans impact the environment positively and negatively. The rise and development of industries resulted in major impacts like acid rain, ozone depletion, genetic modification. Humans create a major impact on water bodies in different ways. Some of the impacts caused by humans on the environment are as follows. 

Water Pollution 

Trillions of plastic pieces enter the water bodies like ocean, sea, lake, etc. They lie suspended on the water surface and over time get deposited on the bed creating harm to the quality of the water. City sewage and industrial waste are prominent sources of water pollution. In addition to that, radioactive substances and oil substances act as a source of water pollution. Agriculture plays a vital role as the fertilisers and pesticides are swept due to rain and affect the water bodies. It also contaminates the quality of groundwater. Water pollution caused approximately 1.8 million deaths in the year 2015 and also resulted in illness to humans and animals. 

Any form of precipitation with high levels of nitric acid and sulfuric acid is termed acid rain. They occur in the form of rain, snow, and dry materials and get settled to earth. Acid rain has a pH of 4.3 while pure water is perfectly balanced at 7. An increase in the number of industries and emission of different chemical components into the air changes the mix of gases in the atmosphere. The release of fossil fuels like coal, the exhaust of nitrogen oxides, and sulphur dioxide from automobiles results in acid rain. Acid rain spread miles after falling on earth. The toxic substances enter water bodies and create harm to the aquatic animals by making water toxic. Acid rain also affects the trees by slowing down their growth and sometimes making the tree die. The food chain also gets affected due to these harms caused by acid rain. 

Acid rain can be prevented by reducing emissions and designing cleaner power plants and reducing the number of pollutants. Despite major prevention being done to reduce acid rain, It affects lakes and aquatic life. More than 95,000 lakes in North America have been affected by acid rain. The monuments, sculptures, and buildings are also damaged due to acid rain.

Global Warming 

Due to the industrial revolution, the emission of carbon dioxide(CO 2 ) in the atmosphere has been increased. This resulted in the decrease of the pH value of surface ocean water. Carbon dioxide is naturally present in the atmosphere and it gets dissolved into the seawater. water and carbon dioxide react to form carbonic acid, a weaker acid than hydrogen ions (H + ) and bicarbonate ions (HCO 3 - ). Due to the impact of humans, the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased and more carbon dioxide gets dissolved and reduces the pH level of the ocean water. 

Ocean acidification becomes a major threat to aquatic animals and decreases the formation of corals. The limitation of coral growth affects the habitat of coral animals. Larger aquatic animals will also face the threat due to the increase in the acidity of water. It affects the respiratory system of aquatic animals. Marine scientists are much concerned as these impacts are changing the ocean chemistry much faster than the organisms can adapt. 

Ways to Create a Positive Impact on the Environment

Processes like recycling, establishing wildlife preserves and parks can create a positive impact on the ecosystem. Reducing the usage of automobiles and switching to public transports can help reduce the emission of harmful gases in the atmosphere. Recycling and reusing whenever possible, planting trees, and consuming less meat can also leave a positive impact on the ecosystem.

Our environment is a very sensitive topic for the modern-day world. Human activities are literally disrupting the balance of our ecosystem resulting in a huge negative impact on it. We are studying the different aspects of human activities, such as pollution , and their impact on the environment to recuperate from imminent disasters.

FAQs on Human Impact on the Environment

1. How do humans affect our environment?

The answer to this is synonymous with how human activities affect the environment. Humans affect their environment to a great extent. They are responsible for all the functions taking place in the environment. The food chain in the environment is dependent on humans. Humans are the greatest consumers in the food web. Humans also influence the biodiversity of the environment. Human settlements and development lead to the cutting of trees, exploitation of resources, space consumption, etc.

All this leads to the mismanagement and uneven distribution of plants, animals, and resources in the surrounding areas. Practices like industrialization cause pollution to the environment. The day-to-day activities of the people also impact the environment.

2. How to Control the Negative Human Impact on the Environment?

Humans undoubtedly affect the environment to a great extent. There are several negative impacts of human activities on the environment. To control the effects of human activities on the environment, the following steps are to be taken.

i. Focus on the sustainable growth of the environment.

ii. Building high chimneys in the sky so that the chemical emissions do not get released in the atmosphere.

iii. The building of eco-friendly spaces.

iv. Afforestation

v. Avoiding the dumping of waste into water bodies.

vi. Measures to control the population.

vii. Sustainable use of natural resources.

viii. Make a list of how human activities affect the environment and suggest a solution to each problem individually.

By following the above methods the negative impact of human activities on the environment can be minimized. This will make the environment a better place for living beings.

3. What are the ways in which humans impact the environment?

Genetic Modification, Overfishing, Ozone Depletion, Over pollution, overpopulation, noise pollution, usage of pesticides in agricultural lands are some of the other ways in which humans impact the environment. 

4. How does acid rain occur?

The emission from factories, automobiles, and nuclear power plants react with the water in the atmosphere. The emission consists of a huge amount of nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, and sulphur trioxide which gets mixed with water and becomes sulphurous acid, nitric acid, and sulfuric acid. This also occurs naturally due to volcanic eruptions. 

5. How can acid rain be prevented?

Switching to renewable sources of energy like solar, wind, and hydraulic energy. They produce less pollution. The emission from automobiles can be prevented by moving to electric vehicles or the implementation of catalytic converters.

6. What kind of aquatic animals get affected by ocean acidification?

Mostly shell-forming animals like crab, corals, oysters are most affected due to ocean acidification. Acidification reduces the components required to build shells and bones. It also affects the blood concentration of fishes as well. This will affect the food chain of the marine ecosystem. 

Biology • Class 10

The Effects of Climate Change

The effects of human-caused global warming are happening now, are irreversible for people alive today, and will worsen as long as humans add greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.

• We already see effects scientists predicted, such as the loss of sea ice, melting glaciers and ice sheets, sea level rise, and more intense heat waves.
• Scientists predict global temperature increases from human-made greenhouse gases will continue. Severe weather damage will also increase and intensify.

Earth Will Continue to Warm and the Effects Will Be Profound

Global climate change is not a future problem. Changes to Earth’s climate driven by increased human emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases are already having widespread effects on the environment: glaciers and ice sheets are shrinking, river and lake ice is breaking up earlier, plant and animal geographic ranges are shifting, and plants and trees are blooming sooner.

Effects that scientists had long predicted would result from global climate change are now occurring, such as sea ice loss, accelerated sea level rise, and longer, more intense heat waves.

The magnitude and rate of climate change and associated risks depend strongly on near-term mitigation and adaptation actions, and projected adverse impacts and related losses and damages escalate with every increment of global warming.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

Some changes (such as droughts, wildfires, and extreme rainfall) are happening faster than scientists previously assessed. In fact, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) — the United Nations body established to assess the science related to climate change — modern humans have never before seen the observed changes in our global climate, and some of these changes are irreversible over the next hundreds to thousands of years.

Scientists have high confidence that global temperatures will continue to rise for many decades, mainly due to greenhouse gases produced by human activities.

The IPCC’s Sixth Assessment report, published in 2021, found that human emissions of heat-trapping gases have already warmed the climate by nearly 2 degrees Fahrenheit (1.1 degrees Celsius) since 1850-1900. 1 The global average temperature is expected to reach or exceed 1.5 degrees C (about 3 degrees F) within the next few decades. These changes will affect all regions of Earth.

The severity of effects caused by climate change will depend on the path of future human activities. More greenhouse gas emissions will lead to more climate extremes and widespread damaging effects across our planet. However, those future effects depend on the total amount of carbon dioxide we emit. So, if we can reduce emissions, we may avoid some of the worst effects.

The scientific evidence is unequivocal: climate change is a threat to human wellbeing and the health of the planet. Any further delay in concerted global action will miss the brief, rapidly closing window to secure a liveable future.

Here are some of the expected effects of global climate change on the United States, according to the Third and Fourth National Climate Assessment Reports:

Future effects of global climate change in the United States:

U.S. Sea Level Likely to Rise 1 to 6.6 Feet by 2100

Global sea level has risen about 8 inches (0.2 meters) since reliable record-keeping began in 1880. By 2100, scientists project that it will rise at least another foot (0.3 meters), but possibly as high as 6.6 feet (2 meters) in a high-emissions scenario. Sea level is rising because of added water from melting land ice and the expansion of seawater as it warms. Image credit: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0

Climate Changes Will Continue Through This Century and Beyond

Global climate is projected to continue warming over this century and beyond. Image credit: Khagani Hasanov, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0

Hurricanes Will Become Stronger and More Intense

Scientists project that hurricane-associated storm intensity and rainfall rates will increase as the climate continues to warm. Image credit: NASA

More Droughts and Heat Waves

Droughts in the Southwest and heat waves (periods of abnormally hot weather lasting days to weeks) are projected to become more intense, and cold waves less intense and less frequent. Image credit: NOAA

Longer Wildfire Season

Warming temperatures have extended and intensified wildfire season in the West, where long-term drought in the region has heightened the risk of fires. Scientists estimate that human-caused climate change has already doubled the area of forest burned in recent decades. By around 2050, the amount of land consumed by wildfires in Western states is projected to further increase by two to six times. Even in traditionally rainy regions like the Southeast, wildfires are projected to increase by about 30%.

Changes in Precipitation Patterns

Climate change is having an uneven effect on precipitation (rain and snow) in the United States, with some locations experiencing increased precipitation and flooding, while others suffer from drought. On average, more winter and spring precipitation is projected for the northern United States, and less for the Southwest, over this century. Image credit: Marvin Nauman/FEMA

Frost-Free Season (and Growing Season) will Lengthen

The length of the frost-free season, and the corresponding growing season, has been increasing since the 1980s, with the largest increases occurring in the western United States. Across the United States, the growing season is projected to continue to lengthen, which will affect ecosystems and agriculture.

Global Temperatures Will Continue to Rise

Summer of 2023 was Earth's hottest summer on record, 0.41 degrees Fahrenheit (F) (0.23 degrees Celsius (C)) warmer than any other summer in NASA’s record and 2.1 degrees F (1.2 C) warmer than the average summer between 1951 and 1980. Image credit: NASA

Arctic Is Very Likely to Become Ice-Free

Sea ice cover in the Arctic Ocean is expected to continue decreasing, and the Arctic Ocean will very likely become essentially ice-free in late summer if current projections hold. This change is expected to occur before mid-century.

U.S. Regional Effects

Climate change is bringing different types of challenges to each region of the country. Some of the current and future impacts are summarized below. These findings are from the Third 3 and Fourth 4 National Climate Assessment Reports, released by the U.S. Global Change Research Program .

• Northeast. Heat waves, heavy downpours, and sea level rise pose increasing challenges to many aspects of life in the Northeast. Infrastructure, agriculture, fisheries, and ecosystems will be increasingly compromised. Farmers can explore new crop options, but these adaptations are not cost- or risk-free. Moreover, adaptive capacity , which varies throughout the region, could be overwhelmed by a changing climate. Many states and cities are beginning to incorporate climate change into their planning.
• Northwest. Changes in the timing of peak flows in rivers and streams are reducing water supplies and worsening competing demands for water. Sea level rise, erosion, flooding, risks to infrastructure, and increasing ocean acidity pose major threats. Increasing wildfire incidence and severity, heat waves, insect outbreaks, and tree diseases are causing widespread forest die-off.
• Southeast. Sea level rise poses widespread and continuing threats to the region’s economy and environment. Extreme heat will affect health, energy, agriculture, and more. Decreased water availability will have economic and environmental impacts.
• Midwest. Extreme heat, heavy downpours, and flooding will affect infrastructure, health, agriculture, forestry, transportation, air and water quality, and more. Climate change will also worsen a range of risks to the Great Lakes.
• Southwest. Climate change has caused increased heat, drought, and insect outbreaks. In turn, these changes have made wildfires more numerous and severe. The warming climate has also caused a decline in water supplies, reduced agricultural yields, and triggered heat-related health impacts in cities. In coastal areas, flooding and erosion are additional concerns.

1. IPCC 2021, Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis , the Working Group I contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.

2. IPCC, 2013: Summary for Policymakers. In: Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Stocker, T.F., D. Qin, G.-K. Plattner, M. Tignor, S.K. Allen, J. Boschung, A. Nauels, Y. Xia, V. Bex and P.M. Midgley (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA.

3. USGCRP 2014, Third Climate Assessment .

4. USGCRP 2017, Fourth Climate Assessment .

Related Resources

A Degree of Difference

So, the Earth's average temperature has increased about 2 degrees Fahrenheit during the 20th century. What's the big deal?

What’s the difference between climate change and global warming?

“Global warming” refers to the long-term warming of the planet. “Climate change” encompasses global warming, but refers to the broader range of changes that are happening to our planet, including rising sea levels; shrinking mountain glaciers; accelerating ice melt in Greenland, Antarctica and the Arctic; and shifts in flower/plant blooming times.

Is it too late to prevent climate change?

Humans have caused major climate changes to happen already, and we have set in motion more changes still. However, if we stopped emitting greenhouse gases today, the rise in global temperatures would begin to flatten within a few years. Temperatures would then plateau but remain well-elevated for many, many centuries.

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Climate Action

How our trash impacts the environment.

• How Our Trash Impacts…

February 28, 2019

By Austin Downs, Richard Acevedo and Kennedi Humble

Due to the mass amounts of unsustainable, human-generated waste entering our environment, the detrimental effects of pollution have continued to negatively impact numerous ecosystems around the world. Different types of waste, such as microplastics, are continuously polluting our oceans and landfills due to the lack of biodegradable and recyclable materials within these pollutants. A recent study found that out of the  400 million  metric tons of plastic waste produced annually, only  9%  is successfully recycled. (Find out  more about plastic pollution  and how you can help  reduce your own waste .) In 2017, for instance, the Environmental Protection Agency calculated the United States’s total generation of solid waste to be around  267.8 million tons , ultimately representing a  5.7 million  waste increase since 2015. All together, unsustainable waste has negatively impacted the environment through its contribution to worsening the climate crisis, wildlife population, and our very own public health. 

Climate Change

The way our society disposes of waste is not only extremely troubling, but has become increasingly irresponsible as well. Our government leaders have failed to implement sustainable foundations into action to allow our environment to successfully mitigate and adapt to climate change. For example, when looking at the relationship between greenhouse gas emissions and landfills, researchers found that  20%  of the total human-driven methane emissions have been produced from waste landfills, and  91% of these landfill methane emissions  have been caused by open-trash incineration. Considering that approximately  65%  of the United State’s waste is being discarded in this manner, the crucial lack of sustainable government regulations and involvement on the waste disposal process continues to contribute large-scale risks to both our atmosphere and the people that live near these burning sites.

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Together, we can #RestoreOurEarth

Ecosystems vary widely from location to location. However, one of the most dire consequences of our global waste problem manifests itself in relation to our marine life and waterways. In other words, human-generated waste affects mass amounts of aquatic beings that are dependent on the ocean for their livelihood. Numerous marine species consume mass amounts of plastic or solid waste due to their inability to distinguish between food and waste and are continuing to have traces of pollutants within their body. Researchers have found  microplastics  in 100% of turtles, 59% of whales, 36% in seals, and even 90% in seabirds they examined. Not to mention, waste pollution is often deadly, resulting in over  100,000  marine mammals to be killed annually. When it comes to biodiversity, our waste problem is severely plaguing the health of the world’s species.

Public Health

Human health is at risk through our lack of environmental awareness and action. If our society continues to produce large amounts of trash without proper disposal, it will be the downfall of humanity, wildlife and ecosystem well-being. We cannot prevent or promote longevity if humankind does not adapt sustainable behaviors toward our Earth. If emissions from waste disposal continue to increase, climate will not only be negatively impacted, but human health as well. Through environmental contamination, one can develop  diseases , such as asthma, birth defects, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and more. These issues will continue to increase if environmental action is not established in the near future.

Austin Downs is the coordinator for the Great Global Cleanup. 

Richard Acevedo is a Fall 2019 intern.

Kennedi Humble is a Fall 2023 intern

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Related stories, the rising tide of climate migration, end plastics, 4 women fighting plastic, answering nature’s call in the boy and the heron.

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How Humans Affect The Environment

How Humans effect the environment? Climate change is one of the biggest problems the whole world is collectively facing. Even though climate change is partially caused by the natural cycles of Earth, humans I think are still a major part of it and I think that we can do more to protect the environment that we live in. Climate change happens when temperatures increase dramatically. When climate change causes temperature rises many environmental problems can occur here on earth . Temperatures rising can result in more floods, droughts, or flooding rain, as well as more frequent and severe heat waves which can cause wildfires. Oceans and the Antarctic Ice Glaciers have also experienced changes in oceans that are rising temperatures and are becoming more acidic. The Antarctic ice glaciers are melting and sea levels are rising destroying many habitats along the ice glaciers such as penguins and polar bears. As these changes frequently occur in future decades, they will likely present challenges to our society and environment. During the past century, human activities have released large amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Most of the gases come from burning fossil fuels to produce energy. Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, is absorb and emits heat into the earth’s atmosphere, keeping the Earth warm enough to support life. However, human activities, such as burning fossil fuels, are adding large amounts of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases are like a blanket around the Earth, trapping energy in the atmosphere and causing it to warm. This is called the greenhouse effect and it is natural and necessary to support life on earth. However, while greenhouse gases buildup, the climate changes and result in dangerous effects to human health and ecosystems. People have adapted to the stable climate we have enjoyed since the last ice age which ended several thousand years ago. A warmer climate can bring changes that can affect our water supplies, agriculture, power and transportation systems, the natural environment, and even our own health and safety. There are some climate changes that are unavoidable and nothing can be done about it. For example, carbon

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Overpopulation, pollution, global warming, climate change, genetic modification, ocean acidification, water/soil pollution, deforestation, acid rain, and ozone depletion are among some of the main factors that have a negative impact on the planet. Overpopulation is one the most concerning environmental issues currently. Overpopulation is defined as the human population of a specific area exceeding the carrying capacity. Overpopulation can occur from an increase in births mainly or a decline in deaths. Also, other factors that affect overpopulation can be an increase in immigration or a depletion of resources. It was stated by the United Nations that the worth has a total carrying capacity of somewhere between 4 and 16 billion. Currently we hold over 7 billion humans on Earth. As of 2017 the UN has increased their population predictions to 9.8 billion by 2050 and up to 15 billion by 2100. Pollution we hear about every day.

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Climate Change- Climate is a long term change in the Earth's weather, especially due to an increase in the average atmospheric temperature. According to research, it was discovered that the Earth's temperature rose by 0.6 degrees Celsius (C) and predicted that the sea surface temperature may rise by up to 1 degrees C over the next 50 years. Unfortunately, carbon dioxide and methane gas levels are the highest they have ever been for the last 420000 years. These two gases with water vapour, nitrous oxide and halocarbons create the five predominate greenhouse gases, effecting the environment greatly. Furthermore, it is evident that an average person release 4 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. Due to this fact, carbon dioxide

The Controversial Issue Of Global Warming

Presently, while Scientists are warning us about the deleterious effects of Global Warming, “Nonscientists” also have separate views on the same issue. This indicates that Global Warming is a controversial issue that needs to be addressed. First, we need to understand the concept of “Global Warming.” Global Warming is described as the general increase in atmospheric temperatures worldwide, which results to climate changes. According to an article titled “Global Warming,” the earth’s atmosphere contains various gases that act as a blanket to trap heat from the sun and prevent it from escaping back into space. This means that these gases prevent the earth from being cold. This continued process is known as the greenhouse effect, and the gasses that are responsible for maintaining this heat are carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. They continued, “Over time, the amount of greenhouse gases trapped in the earth’s atmosphere has increased significantly, causing worldwide temperatures to rise.” Human activities like industrialization and agriculture also play a significant role in increasing these gases. For example, the use of certain fertilizers, produce nitrous oxide and methane emissions come from the production of fossil fuels from landfills, and from livestock, they emphasized. All these evidence illustrates that we are significantly responsible for recent increases in temperatures. For this reason, it is obvious that it is a pressing human issue. This recent dramatic

Why Does The Scientist Face Disappear On The Infrared Radiation In The Earth's Atmosphere?

In late years, however, excess emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from human activities processes (mostly burning fossil fuels) have started to warm Earth's climate at a problematic rate. This has caused the global average temperature to raise, and may potentially harm many life form on earth in near future. They are generating major greenhouse gases (GHGs) which enhance greenhouse effect. This raises the global average temperature leading to climate change, and may potentially harm many life form on earth in near

How Did The Environment Affect Humans

How did humans interact with and influence their environment, and conversely, how did the environment affect humans? Throughout the unit humans were affected by and affected the environment in trade, plague, agriculture,animals, and much more. One of the major elements of civilization in this unit was trade. The environment affected this by allowing faster and more efficient methods of trade, specifically sea trade.

Literature Review On Climate Change

The burning of fossil fuels such as coal and oil, and deforestation over the last 200 years has caused the concentrations of heat-trapping "greenhouse gases" to increase significantly in our atmosphere. These gases prevent heat from escaping to space. Greenhouse gases are necessary in our lives as they help in keeping the planet 's surface warmer than it would otherwise be. But, as the concentrations of these gases continue to increase in the atmosphere, the Earth 's temperature is climbing above past levels (USEPA, 2014).

The car has been a mainstay of American culture for about a century. The idea of a car in every

[1] Over the last century, the Earth's average temperature has risen by 1.4 °F. Over the next century, that average is expected to rise an additional 2-11.5 °F. This change has shown a strong correlation with the increase of greenhouse gases emitted by the burning of fossil fuels for energy and transportation. In fact, every year, human activity releases over

Climate Changes And Climate Change

Climate change is influenced by the greenhouse effect which is the increase of Carbon dioxide, Methane, Ozone and Nitrogen Oxide. On one hand, the presence of these gases in the atmosphere make the earth habitable with respect to regulating the earth’s temperature. However, an increase in the concentration of these gases results in trapping energy in the atmosphere and this in turn increases earth’s temperature. “Global greenhouse gas emissions have grown since pre-industrial times, with an increase of 70% between

Explain How The Ways Humans Behave Can Affect The Environment

I believe that the ways human beings behave can affect the environment in good and bad ways. The environment is a reflection of us and we are a reflection of the environment. Since everything is interconnected, it is a given that if there is something abnormal going on in the environment then it is because we are not doing things in harmony with the ecosystem. For example, Living in an urban setting like a city is very different than living in a suburban setting or rural setting. I believe the air quality is much different compared to both because there are factories and industrial companies in the urban environment and much more trees in the suburban/rural setting; In the major cities in the U.S for example, we can make that distinction. In

How Humans Affected The Environment

Ways in which humans had affected the environment in my area was by dumping drums containing paints and burying paint thinners and many other solvents into the landfill which worsened the grounds and soils of the area. The conditions though in this environment are under control and do not show any high signs of exposures to humans or creatures, meaning they have a low risk of being affected. The only actual organisms that were harmed but only in small portions included shrubs and trees in the wetlands. The site came to be polluted because of the groundwaters underneath the site, which had been contaminated by pollutants leaching from the landfills. Some ways in which we have been attempting to correct this problem was by selecting modified

Importance Of Climate Change Essay

Climate change is one of the biggest problems the whole world is collectively facing. Even though climate change is partially caused by the natural cycles of Earth, humans I think are still a major part of it and I think that we can do more to protect the environment that we live in. Climate change happens when temperatures increase dramatically. When climate change causes temperature rises many environmental problems can occur here on earth . Temperatures rising can result in more floods, droughts, or flooding rain, as well as more frequent and severe heat waves which can cause wildfires. Oceans and the Antarctic Ice Glaciers have also experienced changes in oceans that are rising temperatures and are becoming more acidic. The Antarctic ice glaciers are melting and sea levels are rising destroying many habitats along the ice glaciers such as penguins and polar bears. As these changes frequently occur in future decades, they will likely present challenges to our society and environment.

Human Actions And Its Effects On The Environment

All living organisms need to maintain a balance known as homeostasis. Homeostasis is the maintenance of the internal environment within tolerance limits (Britannica, 2016). Human actions have significant impacts on interactions within an environment. Humans must take steps to minimise the impact of their actions on their environment (BBC, 2016).

The Human Impact On Natural Environment

The human impact on natural environment is one of the most pressing issues of contemporary times and a subject of discussion. The increasing human population and the rising level of technology both have become significant factors in raising the environmental problems. There are several environmental problems around the world today which occurred due to both natural and human causes. Of all the global environmental problems, desertification is, perhaps, the most threatening problem.

The Issue Of Global Warming

The issue of global warming should be on the list of our top priorities. Studies show that the average of global temperatures have risen since the Industrial Revolution began. Since the Industrial Revolution, human emissions has quadrupled the frequency of certain heat extremes and many scientists have warned that a failure to bring greenhouse gases under control could eventually lead to a 62-fold increase in extreme heat blasts (Gillis Justin A17). Most of the increase is due to human activities, especially the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. These activities contribute to a build-up in carbon dioxide and other gases in Earth’s atmosphere. The Earth’s atmosphere is made of gases like nitrogen, carbon dioxide and oxygen. These gases act as a blanket that covers and gives us warmth, but once these gases such as carbon dioxide absorbs heat, but does not release it back into space in which causes the increase in global temperature. This is called the greenhouse effect because it only traps heat but does not release it.

Related Topics

• Climate change
• Global warming
• Greenhouse gas
• Carbon dioxide

How do human beings affect the environment?

Part of Science Living things and their habitats Year 4

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Video transcript video transcript.

All the creatures on planet earth affect each other. That's what we call ecosystems.

Usually they affect each other in quite small ways. But there's one creature who affects all the others in quite an extreme way.

It's called the human being.

Because there are so many of us, and because we've learnt to make very powerful tools, we can make huge changes, like cutting down all the trees in a forest.

Or sometimes we make changes that we hardly even notice, like throwing litter away.

When plastic ends up in the ocean it gets eaten by lots of creatures.

But it's not just them who get poisoned by the plastic, it's all the bigger creatures who eat these as well.

But because as humans we can think about these things and understand them, we can also change ecosystems in a positive way…

Like build marine parks to protect endangered species.

There are also many things that you can do that make a difference, like recycle or grow your own vegetables.

These things might seem small, but if enough people do it, it can have a huge impact on the planet's ecosystem.

More on Living things and their habitats

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What is classification?

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What are classification keys?

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Changing environments

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What is a lifecycle?

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